Toy



Aug. 2i, 1945; A.` Amas 2,383,232

TOY

FiledV Marchv 28, 1945 Y WALDEMP YRES ATTORNEY Patented Aug.`21, 1945` o 3 parts broken away anges I8.

7 UNlrEo STATES PArE`NTf`=of1cE l 'roy Waldemar A. Ayres,

The Lionel Corporation poration of New York Flushing, N. Y., assigner to New York,` N. Y.,a cor- VApplication March 28, 1945, Serial No. 585,342 4 claims. (o1. i6-201) The present invention relates to toys, and is more particularly directed toward toys suitable to be drawnalong by a string.

The present invention contemplates a wheeled toy employing a num-ber of spools some of` which are fastened to a frame, l while the others are loose but rest on those fastened on the frame, and,

along a supportingsurface, the lower set of spools revolve as wheels, while the upper set of spools when the toy of the present invention is dragged I supported on the lower ones revolve on the lower ones in the opposite direction.

'I'he present toy is one which aords amusel ment to children and can be made comparatively large without becoming `excessively heavy, and can to a large extent be put together and taken apart bythe `child without possibility of injury.-

i The accompanying drawing shows, for purposes of illustrating Vthe present invention, an embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawing is` illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toy;l Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the toy;` Figure 3 is atop plan viewof the toy `with and Figure 4 is an end elevational view. l I'he toy shown in the drawing employs a rectangular frame having side members Illand II and endmembers I 2 and I3. These may be made toshow interior construction;

of wood and held together with dowels indicated at I4.

I The frame carries a lowerset of spools I5, four vof which are here shown. These spools are mounted on axlesy|6 which extend through holesy I l in the side members Ill and II of the `frame.I The holes are preferably slightly larger than the axles so that there can be limitedvertical adjustment of the spoolsrelative to the frame. The

spacing of the axles is slightly greater than the diameter of the ilanges I8, I 8 of thespools so that Athe ilanges are out of contact as will be apparent in Figures 2 and 3. l

When a toy employing simply the frame and the lower set of spools is moved along a surface, for example, to the left as indicated in Figure 2,

tions 22 shown to have the same diameter as the body portions of the other spools. The spools `20 are shorter than the spools I5 and preferably of just such length that` the nanges 2|, 2I t in between the flanges I8,

will revolve in a clockwise by the arrow in `Figure 2.

A third set of spools 23 similar to the` other direction as indicated spools but shorter rests on the spools 20 and a singleupper spool -24 similar to the other spools but still shorterrests on lthespools 23, 23. n

When "the toy is in use` all the spools will `rotate in directions such'as indicatedby the arrows in Figure 2, and it is possible to provide spools with various ornaments on the endsuch as illustrated in the drawing, and, when these ornaments are revolved, they provide ananimation `which is of considerableinterest. This is also accentuated by placing spirals such as indicated at 25 on the spools. The spoolsneednot howy ever be of the uniform diameter;`

The child can readily removeall thespools, except the lower set, and Vcan replace vthe spools of each `set either end to, and can also play with the spools asseparate toys, hence the play value of the device isincreased over what it would be if all the parts were permanently secured together. 1

It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention, modiiications` and differentarrangements may be made other than .is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is `illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof within the scope ofthe claims.

` What is claimed is:` l

1. A `toy` comprising aframe, -a plurality of spoolshaving a cylindrical body portion andhaving end flanges, means to mount the spools in the frame on axes substantially in a single plane parallel with one another and spaced slightly greater thanthe diameterof the spool flanges whereby the spools may act` as wheels which revolve freely in the same direction `whenthe toy` is moved over a supporting surface with which the flanges are in contactand a lesser number of similar spools having flanges of lesser extreme spacing 'than' the least spacing of the ilanges all of the spools will rotate in a.,counterclock wise direction. Each of the spools I5 hasa body portion I9 of somewhat smallerdiameter than the `Three spools 20 form a second set. `They have flanges 2I here shown as ofthe same diameter as the flanges of the other spools and body por-x,

` driven by the iirst named spools `,in a direction of the rst named spools, each of the second named spools restingon the bodies of two of the rst named spools between the ilanges and being opposite that of the first named spools.

l. 2.` A toy` as in claim 1, wherein thefirst named spools are on axles passing through oversize holes in the frame whereby the said spools have limited ls. This set `of spoon f freedom of movement vertically to facilitate contacting with an irregular supporting surface.

3. A toy as in claim l, having a third set of similar shorter spools of less number ythan the second set, the flanges of the third set resting on the bodies of the spools of the second set.

4. A wheeled toy having a supporting frame, and a plurality of sets of spools having flanges and bodies, onesetof spools-being mounted in 

